Stress & Enjoying The Holiday Season
Written by Dr. Marcy Kimpton, Chiropractor
Recently, I gave a health talk on easy steps to decrease the effects of stress on your health.
What is stress? The body’s reaction to any change that requires a response. Stress can be physical, mental or emotional.
Examples of common stressors reported by my patients are:
● Lack of good quality sleep
● Poor diet including skipping meals
● Over or under exercising
● Worrying
● Negative outlook (feeling cheated in life or feeling disappointed that life didn’t turn out as planned)
● Relationship difficulties
● Work challenges
● Microstresses (being late, planning too much)
What does chiropractic have to do with stress? Chiropractic is based on the philosophy that subluxations (meaning-less vitality) are caused by trauma, toxins (diet) and thoughts. A chiropractic adjustment corrects these misalignments to restore your posture. I deliver a gentle adjustment either by hand or instrument to promote proper posture and a healthy nervous system.
Also, good posture creates a good mood by allowing us to breathe deeply, calm our nervous system and balance our hormones.
How do you know if you are managing the ever present stressors in your life?
Signs of over stress include:
● Belly fat (hormone imbalance)
● Hunched and tight shoulders leading to poor posture
● Headaches
● Jaw tension or clenching at night
● General fatigue (wired and tired)
● Other signs of hormone imbalance (irregular cycles)
● Digestive troubles (irritable bowel)
● Back and neck pain
If you suffer from any of these symptoms it is time to consider getting help and advice from the practitioners here at Cheam Wellness Group.
What can you do to become more resilient to stress?
● Relax for 10 minutes per day uninterrupted
● Walk more
● Sleep 8 hours per night
● Have good posture (go for a chiropractic checkup)
● Deep breathing for 5 minutes per day
● Eat healthier by choosing whole foods and avoiding packaged foods
● Manage the micro stressors (have a realistic task list and be on time)
● Hug a friend
● Explore a hobby (revisit a hobby that you enjoyed as a kid)
● Connect with others (meet ups, activities, potlucks)
● Find a personal purpose in your life
Take home message - managing stress is the most important step you can take to improve your health. Your response to stress determines how every lifestyle choice impacts your health. This applies to both good and bad habits. A perfect lifestyle will be ineffective if you don’t manage stress well. Conversely, a poor lifestyle choice will cause much more damage to your health if you are feeling overwhelmed. Change is difficult, I suggest you pick one goal on the list to act on and slowly add more as you become healthier and happier.
Stay tuned for more upcoming health events at Cheam!! If you’re looking to improve your health and wellness, contact Cheam Wellness Group at 604-776-2432 or info@cheamwellness.com to learn more about how we can work
together.